THC – An Article By Someone Who Has Never Consumed It

Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is the chemical responsible for the euphoric high associated with marijuana. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, HTC acts in the same way as cannabinoid chemicals found naturally in our bodies. Cannabinoid are nothing but receptors present in large numbers in the sections of the brain associated with time perception, coordination, pleasure, memory and thinking.

THC normally gets attached to the receptors in these parts of the brain and once the receptors are activated, an individual’s pleasure, memory, time perception, coordination, movement, concentration, and thinking capabilities are affected.

But THC is just one of the plethora compounds found in a marijuana plant. Its initial isolation from marijuana was done in 1964 by an Israeli chemist known as Raphael Mechoulam. He managed to successfully isolate and synthesize THC from hashish from Lebanon and this marked the beginning of the numerous research and studies involving cannabinoids and the behaviour of cannabinoid receptors throughout the body.

How THC Affects the Body

The details of the working of THC in the body is quite comprehensive, but in simple terms, THC works by binding itself to the cannabinoid receptors present in the central nervous system and the brain to create the various psychoactive effects. THC will produce a wide range of both short term and long term effects and these will vary from one individual to another. For instance, others will find that HTC elicits feeling of great calm and peace while others may realize that their levels of anxiety increases upon taking HTC. The other short term related effects of THC include:

Medicinal uses of THC

Marijuana has been in use for treating or offering relief to various ailments for close to 3000 years. In the United States, the use of medicinal marijuana is legal while there are also a good number of states where using it for recreational purposes may not get you in trouble with the law.

Currently, THC is obtained as an extract from marijuana or is it synthesized as is always the case for FDA approved medications such as dronbinol. Available in various formulations and under different trade names, THC is currently being used to prevent vomiting and nausea associated with cancer medication. According to the US National Library of Medicine, THC drugs can also be used to increase appetites of individuals living with HIV/AIDS.

Even though certain people tout marijuana to be better than prescription drugs simply because it is natural and when smoked or “taken raw”, you get “everything”, this is never true. Because something is referred to as natural does not necessarily mean that it is safe. Prescription THC is far much recommended than smoking weed if you want to tap into the benefits of THC. You should also be careful with THC overdose [*note from editor* non lethal, but unenjoyable ] as this has caused a number of problems, especially in places edibles and foods containing THC are easily available.

Traits of Sativa Strains by Someone Who Has Never Consumed Cannabis

Sativa is one of the distinct species of cannabis, with the other one being indica. The sativa strains are known to grow tall and thin, and this makes them ideal for outdoor growing. Sativa strains have a grass type odor and they are also known to be uplifting and energetic compared to the indica strains.

One of the traits of the sativa marijuana plant is that it has a tall scraggly looking leaf with thin and wiry stalks. They are native to the warm climates of Central America, Mexico, and South East Asia. Due to their natural equatorial habitats, the plants enjoy a lot of heat and love outdoors and this is why some of its strains grow very tall up to 12 feet in height.

Effects of the sativa marijuana strains

One of the distinctive characteristics of sativa dominant marijuana strains is that they provide energetic, uplifting and a cerebral high which makes them most suited to be used during the day. A sativa high comes with a lot of creativity and energy and perhaps this is why some artist prefers taking a puff of this strain before they go for a performance or start painting. Some of the other effects characteristic of the sativa strain marijuana include:

Enhances the stimulation of creativity and thought

Relieves migraines and headaches

Perfect for reducing nausea

Suppresses depression

Ideal for stimulating appetite

Ideal for promoting sense of well being

Popular strains of Sativa Marijuana

Some of the popular strains of sativa marijuana include:

Amnesia Haze

Amnesia Haze is one of the strongest strains of sativa marijuana and just as the name suggests, expect to have some deadly amnesia when you smoke this marijuana. It is a favorite for many marijuana growers because it has very good yields and it is extremely long lasting.

Also known as Sour D, Sour Diesel is from California’s Emerald Triangle and it got its names from its characteristic pungent diesel fragrance when being smoked. It is believed that this strain can help writers overcome writing block, and for medical patients, it is used to relieve depression, pain and stress.

Strawberry Cough

If you are a brave smoker, then the strawberry cough strain of sativa marijuana is for you. It got its name from the berry taste and fragrance it has when being smoked, and additionally, it has the potent ability to make a user cough with excitement during the process of smoking. With the strawberry cough weed, you can expect extreme uplifting which is very ideal for managing anxiety or even stress.

Lambs Bread

Lambs bread is sometimes called lambs breath and it is the weed to go for if you desire some nice green and sticky marijuana. It is one of the top rated sativa strains and it is ideal for smoking in the company of friends, though you will still enjoy when you are smoking it alone. With it comes a lot of energy and it is also the weed to go for if you want to create a mood of introspection.

With the success of cannabis industry in the United States, one would be sufficiently correct to say that studies on marijuana are never going to end. Tones are seen changing as some of the strong voices that at one time opposed the legalization of the substance seem to adopt soft stances and they tend to now support more studies of cannabis across various fields. But as all the hullabaloos go on, here are some of the ten cannabis studies you will find amazing:

Legal cannabis can be used to protect young people

This is according to a study conducted in Colorado where it was discovered that the number of young people using cannabis after its decriminalization dropped by 22%. Since the legislations came into effect, four out of five young people do not use cannabis, not even on occasional basis.

Riding bicycle when high

Riding Bicycle when High Study was conducted in Germany where participants who were regular consumers of cannabis were allowed to smoke one, two, and three joints of cannabis and then cycle round a truck after each joint. It was observed that there were no significant changes on how they peddled before and after they smoked. You should, however, not misinterpret the results then go peddling after smoking weed.

Those who use cannabis takes fewer seek days

This was from a survey dubbed, “The Effect of Cannabis on Sick Leave” and it concluded that there was a significant reduction in the number of those who applied for sick leave after medicinal cannabis and its seeds was legalized.

While alcohol makes you aggressive, cannabis makes you calm and peaceful

When as study compared the effects of alcohol to those of cannabis, it was discovered that those who consumed cannabis regularly were more peaceful compared to their counterparts who took alcohol on a regular basis.

Insulin resistant diabetes and insulin

Studies have revealed that cannabis users have better blood sugar values than patients who are non-users. From one particular study, cannabis users had lower values of up to 16% compared to patients who have never smoked cannabis.

You can get slim when you smoke cannabis

A relation has been established between the Body’s Mass Index and regular use of cannabis and it has been observed that regular users of cannabis never suffer from weight problems. Experts try to attribute this to the ability of cannabis to lower down blood sugar, which is always a contributing factor in obese people.

Cannabis can help in the treatment of psychological conditions

A research by the University of British Columbia on the potential effects of cannabis withdrawal noted that it could be used as a withdrawal drug for drugs that have more lethal effects and also through the use of cannabis, the use of opioids-based painkillers could also be reduced significantly.

Young people know how to handle cannabis better than old people

A study in the United Kingdom revealed that younger people, between the ages of 15 – 17 were good at handling cannabis compared to adults who got stoned very fast. Additionally, the study also concluded that cannabis consumption could only be problematic if consumed when people are too young and they consumer too much of it.

Cannabis does not reduce the size of the brain

There is no hard evidence to suggest that cannabis is related to the development of schizophrenia as has been believed in many quarters and there is no way how the use of cannabis can affect the size of brain, whether in adults or young people.

Secondary school pupils in academies smoke more marijuana

This is according to a study in Netherlands where it was concluded that there was a connection between the consumption of cannabis and the type of school. Pupils in academies were concluded to take a lot of drugs compared to those in public schools or other types of schools.

Cannabis is a tough plant and most strains will be very forgiving if you lax with their water supply. However, consistent water stress can be detrimental to the health and the ultimate quality of the plant. It is, therefore, imperative for every grower interested in fresh, robust and healthy leaves to know how to water the plants in the right manner and at the right times.

Here are some key factors to help you out:

Hydration is very important for Cannabis Plants

Cannabis plants require a lot of water, especially when they are just about to flower. As a general rule, cannabis plants should never be allowed to go for long without water. Depriving them of water for long will hamper their nutrient intake and as a result, the growth will be stunted, leading to poor yields.

While watering the plants however, caution should be taken to ensure you don’t supply too much water since this may lead to other undesirable conditions such as botrytis and root rot amongst other problems. Ideally, you should determine the critical amount of water needed by the plant based on the strain, the size, as well as the stage of growth.

Know when to water the plants

Just as knowing the amount of water to be supplied to the plant is crucial, it is vitally important to know when you should do the watering. Most growers agree that the best time to water the cannabis plant should be at night time or early in the morning.

It is argued that watering at night or earlier during the day will allow the plant adequate time to utilize the nutrients effectively since most of the plant processes depends on sunlight and this is available only during the day.

Watering when the sun is up is, however, not encouraged, since in the natural set up, precipitation never take place then sun is shining. Besides, the water droplets which will remain on the leaves will act like magnifying glass when sunlight falls on them and this may lead to leaf burn.

The frequency of cannabis plants watering

Now that you have an idea on how much water is necessary and when the times to apply it are, the next thing is to work out the frequency of the application. The recommended frequency is twice every day on days when the temperature is high and the humidity is low. But as the plant continues to mature and approach flowering, the frequency should be reduced as the quantity is increased. When the plant reaches full flowering, the marijuana plant must be watered once every two to three days.

The ideal frequency for watering the plant should be determined after you evaluate the moisture levels in the soil or the growing medium. Ideally, the medium should be dry on the top and slightly dump beneath the surface. If the medium is dry up to 5cm beneath the surface, then the plant is probably too dry and the plant may be undergoing water stress. In such a case, you should supply water to restore moisture content of the soil and avoid further water stress to the plant.

The history of marijuana in the United States is long and winded. To understand it better and know how we got to where we are now with regard to the use and all the restriction surrounding the use of marijuana, you should understand that there are basically two forms of cannabis – when used as a drug for medical purposes or recreation, it is referred to us marijuana and when used for rope, paper or cloth, it is called hemp. Our focus in on marijuana and below is its brief history in the United States:

Domestic production of hemp encouraged – 1600 – 1890s

During the 17th century, the production of hemp was encouraged by the government due to the increase in the demand for rope, clothing and sails. In 1619, the Assembly in Virginia passed laws which compelled every farmer to produce hemp, a material that was later to become a legal tender in Penn.

However, domestic production saw reduction after the Civil War since a lot of imports replace hemp in the domestic markets. Towards the end of the 19th century, people started to use marijuana in quite a number of medicinal products, some of which were sold openly in the pharmacies. This is also the time when hashish as the trend in France and it soon found its way into the United States.

Recreational use introduced by Mexican Immigrants – 1900 1920s

Following the influx of Mexican immigrants into the United States, recreational use of the marijuana leaves started in the United States. It then became associated with the Mexicans and there were a lot of warning about the marijuana menace since a lot of crimes became associated to it and the Mexicans who smoked it in their large numbers.

Uniform State Narcotic Act – 1932

Due to the rising use of marijuana and its association with lots of crimes and other social evils in America, the Uniform State Narcotic Act was passed and this compelled the state governments to be responsible for controlling the marijuana related problems within their jurisdictions.

Marijuana Tax Act – 1937

Following concerted campaigns against marijuana, which was now referred to as the “evil weed”, the Marijuana Tax Act was passed by Congress and this effectively criminalized marijuana in the United States. The tax restricted its possession to only individuals who paid excise tax particular industrial and medical uses.

Stricter Sentence Laws -1960s

The Narcotics Control Act was passed and this stipulated mandatory sentences for drug offenses, with marijuana being one of them. However, the bulk of these laws were later repealed in 1970 and marijuana was effectively differentiated from other drugs. The mandatory sentences for possession of small amounts of marijuana were also removed.

Medical use of marijuana legalized in California

California was the first state to legalize the medical use of marijuana in 1996 after the voters passed proposition 215 which allowed marijuana to be sold to and used by AIDS and cancer patients as well as other serious and painful conditions. Though the law was in contradiction with the federal laws that regulated the use and possession of marijuana, it set the pace to what is currently being witnessed where several states are legalizing the use of medical marijuana seeds, cannabis flowers and licensed production.

You may love marijuana for a lot of reasons, but when it comes to helping you pass your drug tests, then it is the least associate you want to have. When you are or have been a user and a drug test is coming up, you will desire to flush out every bit of any component of marijuana that might still be in your system at the time of the test. But before you delve into the specific things you can do to flush pot out of your system, you should understand how the drug tests work and so that you know how best to beat them.

Most of the drug tests usually involve a process known as urinalysis, which simply refers to the analysis of your urine to determine the presence of metabolites which might suggest marijuana usage. For marijuana drug tests, the commonly targeted metabolite is the level of tetrahydrocannabinol, THC in your blood. The process of flushing pot out of your system therefore, will aim at eliminating or reducing the levels of THC from your blood stream to accepted levels if not flushing everything out.

Here are some of the tried and tested methods you could use to remove pot out of your system before you go in for the drug test:

Use of detox drinks and Flush Kits

Using detox drinks is one of the most popular approaches people consider when they want to flush pot out of their systems and pass drug tests. Detox drinks comprise of expensive vitamins, herbs and mineral effective in diluting urine, thus eliminating most of the toxins from the body. Most of these drinks are laxatives and diuretics, and people will respond to them, based on the specific ingredients used, differently. It is advisable you review the ingredients of the drinks, just in case you have any allergies and you should take the drink several days before the test day.

Exercise

This is a natural way to achieve holistic detoxification for the whole body and just for ejecting marijuana from your system. For marijuana drug tests specifically, exercising is perhaps the ideal way to pass the tests since through exercise, you will burn the very fat cells that normally hold the THC. However, since THC is re-released into your system as the body fat burns, albeit at low levels, you should not do exercises 24 hours prior to the testing.

Healthy diet

The other effective way to clear pot out of your system and never get worried about failing a drug test is to observe a very healthy diet. The recommended diet for this purpose should be rich in fiber and it should be taken several days prior to the drug test. You can get good amounts of fiber by eating fruits and vegetables. These will do wonders in helping your digestive tract to get moving as it cleans you out during the process. You will also be excited to know that THC and its metabolites are normally excreted during the natural bowel movements and since fiber is good at improving this, you will enhance your chances of getting out most of the THC days before the test date.

Pot, just like any other plant, certainly has some challenges when growing. However, the failure to get good yields or quality leaves always has nothing to do with the problems that face pot growing but depends on the grower’s ability to create the right condition and identify and solve the problems before they threaten the life of the plants.

It is inevitable that the problem will arise, but as a grower, you must develop a sharp acumen of identifying them in good time and remediating them before they threaten the survival of the plant. With that said, here are some of the pot growing problems and the probably solutions to remediating them:

Boron deficiency

Boron deficiency is not of a bigger problem nowadays, but still it is a serious problem affecting marijuana growers around the world. Boron deficiency can lead to great undernourishment, leading to lack of vibrancy in growth and poor quality yields. The main culprit for this deficiency is normally inadequate soil pH and this is extremely detrimental to the life of any plant.

If you want to know that the marijuana plant is lacking boron, you will notice weak or slow growth in the upper parts of the leaves. The leaves will be smaller in size, have twisted growth or they will just appear unhealthy generally. You may even think that the plant is lacking in calcium.

If boron deficiency is not checked in good time, other problems which may end up killing the plant may arise. Since it is known that boron deficiency is caused by low soil pH, the ideal solution is to simply check and rectify the pH levels of the soil. It may be a good idea to also consider using other types of soils which are rich in all the necessary nutrients needed for the healthy growth of pot.

Rotting buds

Nothing is as disheartening in the growth of marijuana plant as watching the buds begin to rot. This is a serious weed problem and a very challenging one for many growers. Just as the name suggests, the buds will simply start to rot and eventually fall off, thus making the entire process of growing the marijuana a total waste of time, money and resources.

Some of the reasons responsible for this problem include poor air circulation, growing the plants in cold temperatures, supplying too much water to the plant or failing to remove the rotten buds in good time. The ideal way to avoid this problem therefore, is to simply watch out for these causative factors and ensure that all the conditions are optimal.

Light Burns

In as much as pot need a lot of light for proper growth, too much of it can be harmful to the plant. Light burns normally affect the indoor strains and it will happen when the plants are exposed to sunlight for prolonged periods.

The problems may also occur when you leave the plants in a controlled environment like a grow tent without regulating the amount of light in the tent. To manage this problem, simply ensure that the plant gets just enough light and never let it exposed to direct sunlight for a long period.